South-West France

The vineyards of the South-West are essentially known thanks to the wines of Bergerac, Cahors, Madiran and Jurançon, but for the last ten years or so people are talking more about Gaillac, Côtes du Marmandais and Fronton... a good reason to take a close look at these wines of great diversity.

An impressive range of grape varieties

The production is 80% red and rosé wines, 20% white wines and there are about thirty appellations of controlled origin and 13 protected geographical indications. The range of grape varieties is impressive: what characterises the wines of the South-West is the use of old or rare grape varieties such as Abouriou, Duras, Tannat, Courbu, Fer-Servadou, Manseng Noir, Négrette for red wines and En-de-l'el (far from the eye in Occitan), Mauzac, Arrufiac, Ugni Blanc for white wines. The vineyards of the South-West are a veritable ampelographic museum of the grape varieties from the past, which will delight all wine lovers. An ancestral know-how which amazingly combines gastronomy and tradition.

The main appellations

Bergerac Cahors Jurançon Madiran

In the shadow of Bordeaux

The vineyards of the South-West are mainly known for the wines of Bergerac, Cahors, Madiran and Jurançon. Jurançon has been famous since the reign of King Henry IV. Legend has it that at his baptism, a drop of this nectar was placed on his lips.

The winegrowers took advantage of the English market present in Aquitaine but still remained in the shadow of the Bordeaux vineyards. It suffered in particular from the lack of transportation routes. It was only in the 1970s that the vineyard acquired its reputation.

A very scattered wine region

With 70,000 hectares of vines spread over 4 main regions: Gascony, Guyenne, the Pyrenees and finally the Haut-Pays, which includes the Garonne, Lot and Tarn, the vineyards are very scattered. The climate is oceanic with Mediterranean influences for the vineyards located further east. On a limestone soil of sedimentary and marly rocks, the vineyards are located on hills with gentle to steep slopes depending on the relief of the Pyrenean foothills or on river valley terraces. We should not call it a vineyard but the vineyards of the South-West: there are more than twenty of them with their distinct terroir, grape varieties and history.